​Pejman Nozad is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Pear VC, a leading seed-stage venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California. His unconventional journey into venture capital began as a rug salesman in Palo Alto, where he built relationships with tech entrepreneurs and investors, eventually leading to early investments in companies like Dropbox and DoorDash. In 2013, Nozad partnered with Mar Hershenson to establish Pear VC (originally Pejman Mar Ventures), focusing on supporting founders at the pre-seed and seed stages. Under their leadership, Pear VC has backed several successful startups, including Guardant Health, Gusto, and Branch, contributing to a portfolio valued at over $50 billion. Nozad’s commitment to nurturing early-stage entrepreneurs has earned him recognition on Forbes’ Midas List, ranking #15 in both 2021 and 2022, and securing the #1 spot on the Midas Seed List in 2024. His story exemplifies the power of relationship-building and a founder-first philosophy in venture capital.